Academic Policy  1405.17 

Instructions and Guidelines for Preparation of Nominations for the Alumni Association Faculty Distinguished Achievement Awards and the Charles and Nadine Baum Faculty Teaching Award

These guidelines are designed to facilitate the uniform and equitable consideration by the selection committee of nominees for annual awards given by the University of Arkansas to recognize faculty excellence in teaching, research, and public service.  The University of Arkansas reserves these awards for individuals who are recognized as having extraordinary accomplishments in teaching, research, and public service, above and beyond the ordinarily high standards that University faculty adhere to.

Four awards will be given:  the Charles and Nadine Baum Faculty Teaching Award and three Alumni Association Faculty Distinguished Achievement Awards, one in each of the following categories: (1) Rising Teaching Award (2) research/scholarship/creative activity and (3) public service. 

The Charles and Nadine Baum Faculty Teaching Award is reserved for full-time tenured or non-tenure track full professors, university professors, or distinguished professors. The Alumni Association Faculty Distinguished Achievement Rising Teaching Award is reserved for tenured, tenure-track, or non-tenure track assistant or associate professors. Full-time faculty at all ranks and tenure statuses are eligible for the research/creative activity and public service Alumni Association awards. 

Materials for research/scholarship/creative activity and public service awards should also include teaching documentation and materials for teaching awards should also include research scholarship.  However, the Alumni Association Faculty Distinguished Achievement Awards will be given primarily on the strength of the respective category. 

Selection Process

1. Deans will create a faculty committee to screen nominees from the school, college, or library. There shall not be more than a total of four nominees per college, one per award, except that the Fulbright College of Arts & Sciences may have six nominees across the four awards. Faculty with appointments in two or more colleges/schools can only be nominated by one college/school.
   
   
2. The faculty committee’s recommendations shall be forwarded to the dean who shall make the official nomination. The dean shall provide a recommendation letter for inclusion in the nominee’s packet.
   
   
3. The nominee’s packet shall be submitted by the dean’s office of the college/school/library to the provost’s office.
   
   
4. The Provost will arrange for a committee of faculty, students, and alumni to select award recipients from nominations received from the deans.

Nominee Considerations

1. Faculty cannot receive the Charles and Nadine Baum Faculty Teaching Award or an Alumni Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award (research, service, rising teaching) in the same category twice. However, a candidate who has received an award in one category is eligible for another category (e.g., previous recipient for Alumni Association Faculty Distinguished Achievement Award in teaching is eligible for the Alumni Association Faculty Distinguished Achievement Award in research or service.)
   
   
2. Nominating materials should clearly highlight the nominee’s accomplishments specific to the award they are nominated for.

Deadlines for Submission to Office of the Provost

1. The Office of the Provost will remind colleges of the deadlines for these awards on or about March 1.
   
   
2. Nominations are due in the Office of the Provost no later than April 25 or the first working day following that date.

Nomination Materials for Baum Teaching Award and Alumni Association Faculty Distinguished Achievement Rising Teaching Award

Nomination materials are limited to no more than 20 pages that are single-spaced with a 1-inch margin and 12-point font, excluding the nominee’s vitae.  Nomination materials should be organized in the below order.  [Do not submit copies or reprints of publications, including books, conference reports, technical reports, etc. 

1. Nominating Statement. This portion of the nomination letter should specifically state the basis for the nomination in this category and serve as a guide to the teaching materials submitted in support of the nomination.  It should link assertions concerning accomplishment or ability to supporting evidence.  It should be interpretive and evaluative.  It should state the most important contributions of the nominee to teaching excellence.
   
   
2. List the courses taught each semester for the past three years. Provide course number and title and enrollment for each course along with a consolidated chart reporting student evaluation core component of each class, response rate, and course GPA.
   
   
3. Provide a consolidated syllabus for up to three courses taught in the past three years that best represent the nominee’s teaching excellence.
   
   
4. Include an evaluation by the department head/chair completed in the past year along with up to two peer evaluations of teaching.
   
   
5. Include descriptions of innovative or unconventional teaching techniques or procedures used with a class(es). No more than 2 pages.
   
   
6. Provide information on any participation in course and curriculum development or revision and any individual teaching development activities. No more than 2 pages.
   
   
7. Provide any other documentation, such as a personal statement on teaching philosophy, practice, and goals, synopsis of student activities under the nominee’s direction. No more than 2 pages.
   
   
8. Evaluations by former students including comments from course evaluations or other summaries of teaching evaluations may be included. If the evaluations were solicited for the nomination process, the solicitation process should be described.
   
   
9. Materials related to the faculty member’s research excellence should be included after the teaching materials and before the vita near the end of the nomination packet.
   
   
10. A traditional vita which highlights the direction of graduate students/honors student research and teaching awards received and/or awards or recognition received by students for their accomplishments under the nominee’s direction. This vita shall not count towards the 20-page limit.

Nomination Materials for Alumni Association Faculty Distinguished Achievement Awards in Outstanding Research, Scholarship or Creative Activity

Nomination materials are limited to no more than 20 pages that are single-spaced with a 1-inch margin and 12-point font, excluding the nominee’s vitae.  Nomination materials should be organized in the below order.  [Do not submit copies or reprints of publications, including books, conference reports, technical reports, etc.] 

1. Nominating Statement. This portion of the nomination letter should specifically state the basis for the nomination in this category and serve as a guide to the research materials submitted in support of the nomination.  It should link assertions concerning accomplishment or ability to supporting evidence.  It should be interpretive and evaluative.  It should state the most important contributions of the nominee to their field(s) of research or creative endeavor and describe their overall excellence in research.
   
   
2. Provide at least one statement external to the University on the significance and impact of the research, scholarship, or creative endeavor to the discipline or field. This statement should evaluate the nominee’s most important publications, contributions to innovation and research development, and/or creative activity. most important work.
   
   
3. Describe ways in which the research or creative activities have benefited students at the University, including descriptions of the work of students of the nominee and their achievements.
   
   
4. Describe any internal grants or special allocations of university funds to support the research or creative activity of the nominee. Include a statement listing the nominee’s research appointment and/or teaching release time, per year for the last five years. 
   
   
5. Provide any other documentation, such as a personal statement on research or other evidence of research excellence.
   
   
6. Materials related to the faculty member’s teaching excellence should be included after the research materials and before the vita near the end of the nomination packet.
   
   
7. A traditional vita must be included in the nomination materials (which includes bibliography of refereed and non-refereed publications, list of papers/presentations, reports for proprietary agencies, patents, and evidence of other scholarship, and/or creative activity, external grants received from outside the University including title of project, funding agency, amount, and period of support) but shall not count towards the 20-page limit.

Nomination Materials for Alumni Association Faculty Distinguished Achievement Award for Outstanding Public Service

Nomination materials are limited to no more than 20 pages, excluding the nominee’s vitae.  Nomination materials should be organized in the below order.  [Do not submit copies or reprints of publications, including books, conference reports, technical reports, etc. 

1. Nominating Statement.  This portion of the nomination letter should specifically state the basis for the nomination in this category and serve as a guide to the public service materials submitted in support of the nomination. It should link assertions concerning accomplishment or ability to supporting evidence.  It should be interpretive and evaluative.  It should state the most important contributions of the nominee to their field(s) of public service, identifying service to the institution separately from public service to the profession, community, state, country, or internationally.
   
   
2. For each public service activity to the university, region, state, country, or internationally, supply the following: (a) nature and date(s) of the activity; (b) contributions made by the nominee; and (c) statement on benefits, especially those to the institution, to students, and to colleagues from this activity.
   
   
3. For each public service activity to professional organizations served, supply the following: (a) contributions made by the nominee to the organization (include offices held with dates, special activities, meetings attended); (b) statement on benefits to nominee, to students, and to colleagues from participation in this organization; and (c) contributions of the organization to the profession and other accomplishments.
   
   
4. For each other public service activity, detail important contributions including numbers of individuals or groups served and nature of contributions. [Such service might include applied research, consulting and technical assistance, or clinical work and performance, etc.]
   
   
5. Provide at least one evaluation from a source external to the University that states the significance of the public service.
   
   
6. Provide descriptions and significance of awards or other recognitions for public service activities.
   
   
7. Materials related to the faculty member’s teaching and research excellence should be included after the public service materials but before the vita near the end of the nomination packet.
   
   
8. A traditional vita highlighting public service activities must be included in the nomination materials but shall not count towards the 20-page limit.